Quantum physics gets a bad rap. The behavior of atoms and particles it describes is often said to be strange, and its strangeness creates all sorts of esoteric concepts. As a result, we often overlook the fact that quantum physics has a real impact on our lives. For example, when you glance at your smartphone, you are benefiting from quantum phenomena.
But the story of what quantum theory is good doesn’t end there. As quantum phenomena become more familiar, new technologies designed to make more direct use of them promise to have a major impact on science and society. Quantum teleportation and quantum sensing sound exotic and intriguing, but the technology with the most transformative potential is probably something you’ve already heard of: quantum computing.
This article is part of a special series celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of quantum theory. Click here for details.
Believing the hype, quantum computers could help accelerate drug development, discover innovative new materials, and mitigate climate change. But while the field has come a long way, its future is not entirely clear. To begin with, there are many engineering hurdles.
And what often gets lost in races to overcome these challenges is that the very nature of quantum computing makes it difficult to know exactly what a machine can help with. For all the advancements, researchers quietly face the same existential question: if we can build quantum…
Source: www.newscientist.com